Fearful to Enter The Land
January 20, 2023
Commentary
Moses describes the 100-mile trip from Horeb to the promised land through a dry and barren wilderness (v.v. 19-21). He explains how their fathers’ fathers were instructed by God to take possession of the land of the Amorites. Instead of moving in they wanted to send out some spies to look over the land. This seemed like a reasonable request in preparation for battle and God approved their idea. They should have known that God would not lead them where He would not keep them.
When the spies returned, they brought back clusters of huge grapes and told how the land was unusually fruitful (v. 25). However, their description of the people was so terrifying that the Israelites became fearful and refused to trust God to take over the land. Instead of looking back into their recent past of how God had miraculously delivered and sustained them throughout their desert journey, they now accused Him of delivering them into the hands of the Amorites to be killed.
God carried Israel as a father carries a son (v. 31). What do you remember about your father carrying you as a child? Do you think this helped you to overcome your fears as a child? As you compare this to what God did for Israel what effects do you think this should have had on their faith and trust in Him?
Application
Canaan was a land with Giants and fortified cities. The Israelites fear was understandable but not justified because God had already promised them victory. Sometimes I let difficulties discourage me and then I tend to focus on the negative aspects of a situation. Like Caleb and Joshua, I need to focus on the positive. As a Christian I know that I am on the victory side.
Deuteronomy 1:19– 31 (NET)
19 Then we left Horeb and passed through all that immense, forbidding wilderness that you saw on the way to the Amorite hill country as the Lord our God had commanded us to do, finally arriving at Kadesh Barnea. 20 Then I said to you, “You have come to the Amorite hill country, which the Lord our God is about to give us. 21 Look, he has placed the land in front of you! Go up, take possession of it, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to do. Do not be afraid or discouraged!” 22 So all of you approached me and said, “Let’s send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.” 23 I thought this was a good idea, so I sent twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. 24 They left and went up to the hill country, coming to the Eshcol Valley, which they scouted out. 25 Then they took some of the produce of the land and carried it back down to us. They also brought a report to us, saying, “The land that the Lord our God is about to give us is good.”
26 You were not willing to go up, however, but instead rebelled against the Lord your God. 27 You complained among yourselves privately and said, “Because the Lord hates us he brought us from Egypt to deliver us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us! 28 What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage by describing people who are more numerous and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven itself! Moreover, they said they saw Anakites there.” 29 So I responded to you, “Do not be terrified of them! 30 The Lord your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt 31 and in the wilderness, where you saw him carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place.”
Illustration: It is Dark in There And I am Scared
Five year old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn’t want to go in alone. “It’s dark in there and I’m scared.” She asked again, and he persisted. Finally she said, “It’s OK-Jesus will be in there with you.” Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when all at once an idea came, and he said: Jesus, if you’re in there, would you please hand me that can of tomato soup?” (Victory in the Valleys, Charles Allen).